Thera 2.38: Nisabha
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(158):Nisabha Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter II. Two Verses =158. Nisabha= Reborn in this Buddha-age in the country of the Koḷiyans,1 in a clansman's family, he was named Nisabha. Come of age, he saw the Buddha's wisdom and power at the fight between the Sākiyans and Koḷiyans, and believing, entered the Monk’s order, soon winning arahantship(enlightenment). Upon that seeing a fellow-bhikkhu(monk) spending his time 145 carelessly, he addressed him, adding another verse to show he acted that which he preached: ---- 195 Pañcakāmaguṇe hitvā piyarūpe manorame,|| Saddhāya abhinikkhamma dukkhassantakaro bhave.|| || 196 Nābhinandāmi maraṇaɱ nābhanandāmi jīvitaɱ,|| Kālaɱ ca paṭikaŋkhāmi sampajāno patissato' ti.|| || ---- 195 Put them away, those fivefold things of sense, Objects that charm and captivate the mind. You who through faith did give up home and world, Become end-maker of its grief and pain. 196 With thought of death I become easy not, nor yet Delight in living. I await the hour With mind discerning and with full meditative attentiveness.2 ---- 1 A clan separated from the Sākiyans by the River Rohini. Cf. C., CCXXXIII. 2 Cf. XX., and ver. 607. ---- =2.4-8 158 Commentary on the stanza of Nisabhatthera= The stanza starting with pañca kāmaguṇe hitvā constitutes that of the venerable Thera Nisabha. What is the origin? This one also having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating acts of merit in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home at the time of the Blessed One Vipassī; on having attained the age of intelligence, he happened to have noticed, one day, the Master wandering about for alms-food, became pious-minded, and offered wood apple fruit (to Him). On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirhts but in excellent existences and was reborn in a famitly home in the district of Koliya, when this Buddha arose; having gained the name Nisabha, he came of age and happened to have seen the power of Buddha at the battle field of Sākiyans and Koliyans, aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, and attained Arahantship on that very day. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:– “I made my offering of wood apple fruit to the gold-complexioned self- awakened Buddha, the recipient of sacrificial offerings, who was entering upon a chariot road. It was ninetyone aeons (kappa) ago, that I then made my offering of fruit; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of (my) fruit-offering. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out. Having, however, attained Arahantship, he spoke the first stanza, on having noticed that his own companion monks were spending their time by leading negligent lives, in order to give them instruction. 195. Having given up the five lovingly beautiful and mentally enjoyable strands of sensual pleasures, you have come out of your houses with your pious faith; you should become one who puts an end to painful misery (dukkha). It’s meaning:– Piyarūpe means: lovingly beautiful to unwise common folk (puthujjana) because of such a nature as should be loved; mano rame means: enjoyable to the mind because of pleasing nature; pāncakāmaguṇe means: five shares (koṭṭhāsa) of sensual pleasures starting with beautiful form (rūpa); hitvā means: having forsaken and all round sacrificed: saddhāya means having come under the influence of pious faith in the action and reaction (kammaphala) and in the three gems (ratanattaya); ghara means: having renounced and gone towards monkhood; exerting and making effort beginning from the time you have become a monk, being congenitally wise (viññūjātiko); dukkhassa antakaro bhave means: one should become such as would have put an end to the painful circle of repeated rebirths. Having in this manner advised those monks, he revealed his arahtship (aññā) by means of the second stanza in order to make clear, the condition of his own proper attainment (paṭipanna) to them thus: “Do not consider in this light: ‘This one dwells but advising (saññāpento) others; he himself, however, is not the doer’. 196. “I do not welcome death; neither do I welcome life; mindful and thoughtful I long for time.” There, nābhinandāmi maraṇaṃ means: I do not specially long for death. Nābhinandhāmi jīvitaṃ means: this, however, is the statement of its cause (kāraṇa); since I do not welcome life, there for I do not well come death. Indeed, whoever heaps up and accumulates special confections of depravity (kilesa-bhisaṅkhāre) of birth, old age and death in future, he, welcoming the special springing up (abhinibbattiṃ) of a new existence (punabbhava) because of having no interval, is said to be (nāma) welcoming his own death also; owing to not having forsaken the cause (kāraṇassa appahīnattā); the Arahant, free from cankers, however, having totally forsaken the deeds (dhamme) that go towards accumulation and having become well established (patiṭṭhito) in the deeds (dhamme) of decrease (of possibility of rebirth), being based on all-round understanding (pariññātavatthuko), not welcoming life in every respect (sabbaso) is said to be (nāma) not welcoming death also, because of having but well forsaken the cause. Therefore he said: “Nābhinandāmi maraṇaṃ, nābhinandāmi jīvitaṃ (I do not welcome death. I do not welcome life).” If, in this manner, there is special desire of an Arahant, free from cankers to enter nibbāna, how is his position up to the occasion of his complete passing away into nibbāna; thus, he said: “Kālañ ca paṭikaṅkhāmi, saṃpajāno patissato” means: when the all-round extinguishing of fires of depravity had been accomplished (siddhe) I become mindful (sato) and thoughtful (sampajāno) for the attainment of abundance of awareness and wisdom and long for (paṭikaṅkhāni) the time when there will be complete entry into nibbāna of the aggregates (khandha) totally; I dwell expecting (udikknamāno) and awating (āgamayamāno) that event; there does not, however, exist my pleasure (abhinandanā) either in my death or life, because of the abolisnment (samugghātita) of it by means of the self-same path of Arahantship even. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Nisaba is complete. ----